consciouseating Alexandra Paul


on Vegan Activism Her Kind Lifestyle Honors All Living Things by Gerry Strauss


I


t may seem odd that one of the most intensely dedicated public activists is also known for starring in one


of TV’s most superfi cial shows of the 1990s, but Alexandra Paul overturns stereotypes. Behind that signature Baywatch one-piece that kept David Hasselhoff on his toes beats the heart of a true soldier for animal rights and population stabilization. At 52 years young, she is extremely fi t and knowledgeable about the vegan lifestyle that got her there.


What is your philosophy of life? Be kind. Being kind is different from being nice. I spent my teens and 20s anxious to be nice, and all it gave me was a boatload of acquaintances and an inauthentic self. Nice aims to be popular. Kindness is about doing the right thing: justice, fairness, patience, respect. Kindness is at the


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How has activism forged your identity and inspired others? I’ve been an activist since I was 7, when I wrote to President Nixon asking him to stop pollution. As a dedicated citizen, my mom boycotted companies that acted against her ethics. Growing up with such a role model, trying to make the world better came naturally. Walking my talk is a challenge I face daily as I choose what to buy, what to eat and how to be, and I also think it is the most effective way to encourage change in others.


heart of why I’m a vegan, and why I’ve been arrested 16 times for civil disobedience supporting peace, equal rights and the environment. Being kind to myself inspires me to exercise and live healthfully.


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What drives your commitment to a vegan diet? I became a vegetarian when I was 14, after reading Frances Moore Lappé’s Diet for a Small Planet, which taught me how eating meat was destructive to the planet. A couple of years later, I did a book report on Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation and learned the ethical reasons against eating animals. I stopped using cosmetics tested on animals when I was a teen and stopped wearing leather, wool and silk in my 20s. I fi nally gave up eating dairy in my late 40s, and I wish I’d done it earlier.


Although I did it to benefi t animals, being vegan has enriched my life and


photo by Denice Duff


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